Sunderland's play-off schedule now clearer after Championship results confirm final position

Sunderland will finish fourth in the Championship season after Monday's results mean they cannot be caught by Bristol City in fourth or catch Sheffield United in third. It means that the Black Cats now have their provisional play-off dates as they gear up for the fixtures which will define their campaign next month.

The Black Cats fell to a 1-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers on Monday, meaning that they cannot catch Chris Wilder's side. Bristol City's defeat at Luton Town, meanwhile means that Liam Manning's side cannot overhaul them in the final two games of the regular campaign.

The EFL released the play-off schedule earlier this month and while they will be officially confirmed at the end of the regular season, Sunderland now know when they will likely be in action.

The Black Cats will play the first leg away from home on Friday, 9th May with kick off at 8pm. The second leg will then take place at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday, 13th May with kick off at 8pm. Both games will be televised on Sky Sports.

The final, should Sunderland get there, will take place at Wembley on Saturday May 24th. All dates and times will be officially confirmed at the end of the regular season. The full release from the EFL outlining the provisional play-off schedule can be seen here.

Less clear is who Sunderland will be facing in those semi finals. Sheffield United's third-place finish was confirmed after they lost to Burnley on Monday evening, but fifth and sixth remain firmly up for grabs. Bristol City, Coventry City and Middlesbrough all lost on Monday. It means that Bristol City hold a four-point advantage over Middlesbrough in seventh, but Michael Carrick's side are just one point behind Coventry. Those two sides also play against each other on the final day of the campaign.

Sunderland boss sets out approach for the rest of the season

Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris confirmed after the game that he would now look to focus on his best XI in order to build some momentum ahead of the play-offs, having heavily rotated in recent weeks.

"We explained before that this part of the season, it has been a little bit weird," Le Bris said.

"We didn't really have a choice because we had a very small squad and they played so many games with probably fourteen or fifteen players. It was really important to refresh the squad and it was possible because we had 76 points, and we deserved this opportunity. Now with two games to play and one per week, the situation will be different. It will be possible to start with our 'main' XI and I hope that we will find our rhythm, the right flow and dynamic.

"Every situation is unique and we have a specific situation where it was impossible to solve with other options. The players have shown before that they are able to react. For me, I am confident and I trust these players 100%. Now it's a question of mindset because the play-offs are totally different and the energy you have to manage is totally different. So I think we'll able to show the desire.”

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